


if I lived 'til I was 102

by wintercreek



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: cliche_bingo, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-26
Updated: 2009-08-26
Packaged: 2017-10-05 17:12:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintercreek/pseuds/wintercreek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney and Jennifer get happily married. John watches.</p>
            </blockquote>





	if I lived 'til I was 102

**Author's Note:**

> For the "Betrayal" square on my Cliche Bingo card.

It wasn't supposed to work out like this, John thought. But it had, and there was nothing left but to sit there and smile, dress blues drawing admiring looks from the old ladies in the church and dirty smiles from the young ones. Thankfully, once the music started up everyone obediently turned to the aisle and watched Jennifer's med school roommate walk up on the arm of Rodney's brother-in-law, followed by Jeannie with Ted, Jennifer's cousin. John let his gaze stray to the front of the church just once; he saw Rodney, tuxedoed and fidgeting with the ring in his pocket.

Then the crowd rose as one and Jennifer walked in with her father. She looked beautiful - she _was_ beautiful. Rodney lit up when he saw her.

They'd written their own vows for each other to add to the standard set; John's mouth fell open when Rodney's started, "I was twenty, single, and working on my doctorate in astrophysics when I realized that the search for a woman who was smart, attractive, and willing to spend the rest of her life with me was like the search for a Higgs boson particle: likely to take most of my lifetime, and based upon theoretical predictions without observable evidence to back them up." A chuckle ran through the crowd and Rodney smiled. John closed his mouth. "Thankfully, although CERN still hasn't found a Higgs boson I found Jennifer. She quickly took her place as the integral force that explains most of the motion of my life." Jennifer interrupted him then by leaning forward, grinning hugely, and capturing his mouth in what looked like a passionate kiss. The minister cleared his throat and she stepped back with a sheepish look, silently mouthed 'I love you' to Rodney and straightened her dress. Rodney beamed back at her and continued, "I love you, Jennifer and..."

Teyla touched his arm. "John?"

"Yeah?" he whispered.

She frowned at him. "You are crying. Are you all right?"

"It's an Earth tradition to cry at weddings. Everyone does it." John shrugged. "I got something in my eye - the timing just happens to be appropriate." When Teyla opened her mouth to say something more, John shushed her. "Later, after the service is over."

\---

Teyla took him at his word and cornered him at the reception. From the look on her face, she was about a minute away from improvising _bantos_ rods from a couple of table legs. "John. Ronon. _What_ is going on here?"

John drained his beer. "Another Earth tradition."

"Yeah," Ronon agreed. "We had it on Sateda too. When the person you love marries someone else, you show up, smile, and then get shitfaced."

John gaped at Ronon, drunk enough to discard caution. "You _knew?_"

"About you and McKay? Sure." Ronon clapped John on the shoulder. "I think McKay's the only one who didn't know."

John buried his face in his hands. "I am so screwed," he muttered.

Ronon snorted. "Or so _not_ screwed. C'mon, Sheppard, I'm in the same boat."

"You're what?" John's voice hadn't broken like that since adolescence. It had to be the beer. "You're in love with Rodney too?" he hissed.

"No, Jennifer." Ronon scowled at him.

Teyla furrowed her brow. "I thought you were dating Amelia."

"I am. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to see Jennifer marry someone else." He stood up. "I'm going to get us more beer."

Teyla took his seat and leaned over to John. "This is why you cried during the ceremony?" she asked.

John sighed heavily. "Yeah. I mean, there's a million reasons why it could never have been me. But I– I hoped, you know?"

She nodded. "I know."

Behind her, John could see the dance floor, with Rodney and Jennifer swaying in each other's arms and the DJ calling other couples up for the anniversary dance. He closed his eyes. "How did you know? How did everyone know?"

"Oh, John." Teyla pulled him upright and pressed her forehead to his. "Your eyes gave you away."

They sat in silence, Dean Martin crooning to the dancers and Jennifer's delighted laugh ringing through the crowd.

"What will you do now?" she finally murmured.

John sat up. "I–" He steeled himself for a look at Rodney and Jennifer, made himself smile at them. He could feel that it didn't touch his eyes. "What I always do, Teyla. Make myself be happy for them until I believe it."

Ronon returned and John found himself standing between them. They made their way outside and sat there, in the cool evening under a canopy of familiar stars. When the beer was gone, Ronon stood up again to get more.

John stopped him with a hand. "Ronon, how do you do it?"

"Carry it. Be as happy as you can for them. Find something to fill your nights." He tugged John up and into an awkward hug. "I have a _githern_ you can learn to play, if you want. It got me through my first broken heart."

"This isn't my first," John snorted.

"No one said it was," Teyla told him. "When Margun left me and married another I wrote the better part of a book of Athosian history. It was not my first broken heart or my last." She gazed at him, stern and tender all at once. "You will get through this, John Sheppard. You may never get over it, but you will get through it. And then you will be happy again, one day."

"I know." John turned away. He could see Rodney and Jennifer, heads together over their wedding cake. He closed his eyes. "I know."


End file.
